Review: 'The Elephant Man' is Stunning in This 4K Restoration
"I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I... am... a... man!"
These are the words that John Merrick screams as he's cornered by an angry mob in "The Elephant Man," David Lynch's 1980 drama about a severely deformed man in late 19th century London. They're angry words, and hurt, and sad, delivered with explicit emotion by John Hurt, and they're perhaps the most instantly famous in this iconic film, which is arguably not as widely discussed as it should be.
It was only Lynch's second feature, and one that, along with "The Straight Story," differs vastly when considering the filmmaker's entire oeuvre. It follows the pairing of Hurt's Merrick, a freak show performer deemed "The Elephant Man" for his severe skeletal and soft-tissue deformities, and London surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins). As the two men engage, Treves is exposed to the sincere humanity of Merrick, along with his intelligence and grace, and the two develop a beautiful friendship.
Nominated for eight Academy Awards, the film features a fantastic cast, visionary direction, and gorgeous black-and-white cinematography by the director of photography Freddie Francis. It has now arrived at the Criterion Collection in a stunning new 4K digital restoration, so you can bask in the glory of this film's aesthetic aptitude in the comfort of your own home.
Archival interviews are included in the bonus features, and we get great insights from Lynch, Hurt, Francis, and many more, including the uncredited producer, Mel Brooks (he took his name off the film because he believed audiences would mistake it for a comedy). Additional supplemental material includes:
� Director David Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna reading from "Room to Dream," a 2018 book they coauthored
� Audio recording from 1981 of an interview and Q&A with Lynch at the American Film Institute
� "The Terrible Elephant Man Revealed," a 2001 documentary about the film
� "Joseph Merrick: The Real Elephant Man," a 2005 program featuring archivist Jonathan Evans
� Trailer and radio spots
� Excerpts from an interview with Lynch from the 2005 edition of filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley's book "Lynch on Lynch"
� An 1886 letter to the editor of the London Times concerning Merrick, by Francis Culling Carr Gomm, chairman of the London Hospital
"The Elephant Man" is now available on Blu-ray from Criterion Collection.